15 Signs You Were Born a Writer

If you kept the edges of your books scribbled or had crumpled papers around your room, what literary mess you were! No matter wherever you went, you had some writing or reading material along with some pens and sharpened pencils to call your own. But rewind childhood a little more, if you loved writing ‘A’ and ‘B’ more than saying it when you first learnt to pronounce the letters of the alphabet, it was a sign that you were born slightly different. It’s a fact; every one of us is born with some unique talent and writing my friend, was yours.

Still don’t believe us, here are 15 signs that will prove this to you:

You were always the storyteller in the family

You were always the storyteller in the family

“Tell us a story, not the one from the book but from your imagination” was something you often heard your family members, and little siblings requesting. They knew, even if you didn’t, that you were born to be a writer. They spotted the making of a great writer in you and encouraged you to come up with your own tale to tell. If you had a childhood like that, with that invisible storyteller sign hanging around your neck, you were destined for greatness.

You craved alone time even when you were an extrovert

You craved alone time even when you were an extrovert

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that some writers seem bi-polar. God forbid, not in the real sense, but they do depict the qualities of one. There are times when you will find them singing on the top of their lungs with their friends on the bar counter and then there are days when you will find them sitting on the almost hidden couch near the bathroom in the same bar with an expressionless face immersed in deep thoughts. If you didn’t know them too well, you might even think they are not the same person.

If you can associate yourself with that person today, you should have known you were born a writer.

Expressing yourself on paper was easier for you

Expressing yourself on paper was easier for you

On all such occasions where you felt bullied, tortured, hurt or misjudged, you found it hard to say that straight to the person’s face or even anyone else. Expressing how you felt verbally had always been the hardest task. However, as soon as you wrote that down on a paper in the form of a sketch, ‘dear diary’, a poem or a rap song, you felt all that tension and frustration in your body dissipate. You felt you could finally breathe again.

Writing kept you sane

Writing kept you sane

You were born a writer if writing was the only thing that helped you overcome all the heartaches, breakdowns, and the pain you felt. You literally endured all that but never became mediocre or complacent. You felt all the pain of unfulfilled wishes, rejection, and lost love but never complained. There was no such thing as ‘utter contentment’ for you when you were young. You also believed that if it weren’t for writing, you might have given up ages ago. Thankfully, it didn’t happen as you found a way to let your frustration out on paper.

You were always a people watcher

You were always a people watcher

You were born a writer if you were always a great observer. Your eyes never stopped wandering or stayed stuck in one place. You loved watching people and observing every move and expression like a hawk setting its eyes on its prey. You might have even been called a peep for staring at something or someone for too long. But to you, it wasn’t staring, it was more like gathering details about people and making up your own mental stories.

You loved your solitary travels

You loved your solitary travels

You were born a writer if you just needed some time out every now and then. You loved traveling and that too alone, to let those feelings of solitude overtake you. And once they did, you were not to be found!

You were always a day dreamer

You were always a day dreamer

You were born a writer if your favorite pastime was thinking or making up scenarios in your head that would never happen. Like a double-edged sword, you always found more thinking brought you peace and stress at the same time. Your tendency to over-think when combined with all your ‘what ifs’ made everything seem chaotic and at peace at the same time. If it was that complicated for you, it is a sign you were a born writer.

You fell in love easily, and still do

You fell in love easily, and still do

You were born a writer if you felt head over heels in love with those who complimented you or your writing. You didn’t feel proud when praised, you instantly fell in love. You replayed the scenes and compliments they paid you over and over in your head until you hurt your jaws from smiling. You read and re-read the piece they praised you for. Worst, if they did it in the form of a quote you love; you never forget them or the quote. You felt loved and accepted and these were the things you craved the most.

Writing got you calm

Writing got you calm

You were born a writer if it felt like therapy to you. To you, it was like first love. You hated those days when you didn’t have the time to write. You felt like you would go berserk or lose your mind. And as soon as you did, nothing felt more comforting. Even when you felt depressed or lonely, you never resorted to a bottle like others but to a pen or a pencil.

You cherished collecting stories

You cherished collecting stories

You were born a writer if you loved collecting story books. You were addicted to them. You believed words were the most valuable things as they expressed emotions like no other form did. You had your own shelf of stories you kept reading over and over again and felt the same joy you felt the first time you read them. Even today, your heart skips a beat when someone mentions them to you.

You wished for more books from Santa

You wished for more books from Santa

You were born a writer if you couldn’t wait for the morning before Christmas because you had wished for more books from Santa. Where your siblings played with their Star Wars toys and doll houses, you spent Christmas in your room with your nose sunk into your new books as you let the fresh smell consume you.

You had more than one journal filled with your ideas, thoughts, and stories

You had more than one journal filled with your ideas, thoughts, and stories

You were born a writer if your journals, notepads, and diaries were your most prized possessions. You never let other family members even touch them in your absence and mostly kept them hidden from the prying eyes of your siblings. You either gave away all your toys or discarded them, but never your journals! You might still have some stashed in a carton somewhere in your garage. Feel like going down the memory lane?

You mostly felt like an outcast

You mostly felt like an outcast

If at any point in your life you felt like an outcast, like you didn’t belong here or nobody really needed you, you were born a writer. How do we know this? It’s because from an early age, writers see the world differently. Their notions and their ideas of what the world should be and what it is, stay contradictory. They imagine the world more colorful, the people more vibrant and supportive and thus want to be a part of that made-up world. This strange belonging made them feel like an outsider all the time.

You were always a word hoarder

You were always a word hoarder

You were born a writer if you always had a notepad beside you to write down all those sentences that made perfect sense to you. The sentences you could relate to as if your whole life had been described in them. You always kept certain paragraphs of your favorite novels highlighted or kept the pages marked and went back to them when you felt like reading them. Why? They just made perfect sense to you as if they were ‘written for you’ or with ‘you’ in mind. If you had such an upbringing with post-its, highlights, and a diary full of your favorite quotations, it was a sign you were to become a writer.

You always had something to write about

You always had something to write about

You were never empty-minded. You always had some stories concocted up in your little mind. You made sure every experience no matter how bizarre or unusual you encountered, you wrote about it. Even if it involved scenarios like getting soaked in the rain and having to walk back home because you missed your bus or watching your pet kittens fight among themselves. To others, such happenings were not worth remembering, but you always made sure you had them safe in your diary.